Data shows reports of ICE activity in Maine have risen
Calls to a Maine immigration activity hotline have been rising in the months since a surge of enforcement in January, when more than 200 people statewide were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Data provided by the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition shows ICE activity may be increasing in recent months, with more and more callers reporting sightings of immigration agents across the state. But officials from the federal agency continue to be tight-lipped about statewide apprehension data and whether they are increasing enforcement.
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Analysts from the advocacy group have determined that the hotline reports are consistent with steadily climbing immigration enforcement over the past year, save for the enhanced operation in January, spokesperson Panagioti Tsolkas said in a statement.
In April, the hotline received 75 calls reporting the presence of immigration agents. Advocates reported seeing a rise in such calls in May, with 105 possible sightings.
As of Wednesday, the hotline had received 101 calls in June from people reporting apparent ICE activity. Nine calls came in on Wednesday alone, according to data provided by the coalition.
When asked about potential ICE activity in Portland, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that ICE agents regularly conduct operations across New England but declined to provide any specifics.
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“For operational security purposes, ICE does not disclose ongoing or future operations, or law enforcement plans, tactics or strategies utilized during such operations,” the DHS spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
RECENT DETENTIONS
Maine immigrant advocates have verified eight sightings of immigration agents in the past two weeks and 18 in the past month, Tsolkas said. In recent months, he said the coalition has reported seeing a general trend of five to 10 detention reports per week.
ICE agents detained a man at his home in Lewiston on Saturday. A federal judge ordered immigration authorities on Tuesday to release him from custody after he was taken to a Massachusetts jail, despite a court order that he stay in Maine.
About a week prior to that, a Cumberland County corrections officer was detained by ICE agents in South Portland. Local leaders criticized federal authorities’ statements about his apprehension, saying they misrepresented the background of the officer, who has no criminal record.
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The immigrant advocacy organization reported last month that an uptick in detentions and calls to the hotline appeared to correspond with a shift in strategy by ICE. While reports of apprehensions had been sporadic, advocates say calls became more consistent in May than they had been since the January spike in detentions.
At the time, the organization’s executive director, Mufalo Chitam, said in a statement that advocates “are concerned about the long-term impacts this escalation in enforcement activity and shifting strategy will have on community stability, healthcare access, workforce participation, small businesses, and Maine’s tourism economy as the state enters tourism season.”
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Tagged: ICE, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, public service
Morgan covers breaking news and public safety for the Portland Press Herald. Before moving to Maine in 2024, she reported for Michigan State University's student-run publication, as well as the Indianapolis. More by Morgan Womack
